The heart never lies
by RaspberryRaindrops
Summary: What if Zoe had accepted Matts proposal, how would she deal with married life and how will a Nick cope?
1. Chapter 1

"Huh, it's funny" Matt chuckled as he and Zoe were eating dinner, in his office; not the most romantic setting but he was due in theatre soon.

"What's that?" Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a sip of the sparkling water in her champagne flute; the closest she'd come to alcohol during this dinner.

Matt sighed, leaning forward on his elbows "well here we are, apparently without a care in the world, and, you still haven't given be an answer to the biggest question a man could ask" he looked at her with doubt in is eyes; he could tell she was having second thoughts.

Zoe gulped, focusing on his tie as she thought for a second; weighing up the pros and cons of accepting his proposal, she took a deep breath and nodded "Yes" she replied, stretching a hand across the table to reach his.

"Are you sure?" Matt asked, laughing in relief and delight. He stood up and moved around the table to kiss her, taking her hand in his and slipping her engagement ring onto her finger. His pager bleeped, interrupting what was going to say "I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll see you tonight, love you" he rushed from the office to deal with whatever emergency they were paging him for.

"Love you too" Zoe trailed off as he ran from the office, she couldn't even convince herself of that fact.

.

"He does have a heart" Zoe whispered as she approached Nick from behind and fell unto step beside him, having heard his comments to Dr Fletcher.

Nick ignored her comment, looking around the ED, unable to look her in the eye "So is it congratulations?" He asked, looking at the woman he was in love with for the first time sic e their conversation began. He hadn't yet found a way to tell her just how much he loved her, and now, someone else had gotten in their first.

Zoe looked at the ground, a lump in her throat "that depends on you perspective" she whispered, holding her left hand up to show him the engagement ring. She felt sick, she had no idea why she had said yes; the only man she loved was standing in front of her, but, showed no signs of loving her back. Now, she was engaged to a man who would never match up.

"Right" Nick choked out, staring at the rock on her ring finger. He cursed himself it should be him putting a ring on her finger – no one else.

.

Zoe sat in Matts apartment, alone. She was currently sinking her second bottle of wine as she waited for him; he said he'd be back at nine and it was currently eleven thirty. She picked up her phone and scrolled through the contacts, looking for Matt's name. She drank the rest of her glass of wine and typed out a text:

_Didn't think you'd be this late, going home. See you tomorrow. Z x_

She hailed a cab relatively quickly to take her home, she couldn't stop her mind wandering as she sat in the backseat and ignored the drivers attempt and conversation. She scrolled through her phone again, this time stopping on the one mans name who consumed most of her thoughts, a few deep breaths later and she send her second text of the evening;

_Been stood up, heading back to the flat. Are you free? Z x_

She paced the living room as she waited for a reply, listening out for the all familiar message tone. She was surprised when a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, she knew exactly who it would be though. She'd barely got to look at him before he was kissing her; backing her against the wall and lifting her up.

Her feet locked over his bum as he kissed her, never once drawing his mouth from hers as his fingers undone her shirt buttons and trailed under her skin to swiftly pull her knickers down

"Oh, Nick" she groaned as he pushed into her, his rhythm fast and furious. Her hips struggled to keep up as she raced further towards oblivion. "Fuck" she whispered, her head dropping forward to rest on his shoulder. Her legs were losing their grip on his waist as he carried her upstairs and dropped her lightly on the bed, climbing in behind her and pulling her against his chest.

"This is how it should be" he whispered, kissing her bare shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

Zoe only had hazy memories of what happened the night before; the crumpled sheets and trail of clothes indicated what she knew was inevitable. He was gone though he hadn't stuck around and she knew, or at least she thought she did, that she was being used.

She had Matt, he loved her, he treated her well and paid attention to her. It was him though, he got her going; he aroused her, made her heart beat faster and her mouth dry up with one look, it was him that she wanted – Nick Jordan was her weakness.

.

He was waiting for her as she made her way into the ED, they both were, she felt sick as she saw them chatting. "Hey" she mumbled quietly, her eyes fixed on Nick as Matt kissed her, she was trying to determine whether he had mentioned anything about seeing her last night.

"Morning beautiful" Matt smiled, as he cupped her face between his hands and kissed her again "I'm sorry I missed you last night" he whispered aware if the presence of others.

"It's ok, I just went hope to bed. It was late" she smiled, kissing him on the cheek. She really doubted her ability to go through with this marriage, she knew spending her life with Matt wasn't what she wanted.

.

"So… Good night Dr Hanna?" Nick asked smugly as he watched Matt walk away.

Zoe raised her eyebrow "it would have been if I didn't wake up alone" she glared at him, it killed her that's he was in love with him; he was arrogant, annoying but inevitably sexy.

"Yeah" Nick replied, uncomfortably; he was kicking himself for leaving her. All of his instincts told him not to but her left right after she'd fell asleep.

Zoe huffed and walked away, feeling slightly ashamed of herself, she'd never cheated before; she'd only been the one someone was cheating with. She turned back around and looked at him "look, what happened last night… It cannot happen again. I am getting married" she hissed, hoping no one else heard what she was saying.

.

"Dr Hanna, patient in cubicle one" Nick called, looking over at her from the patient board.

"Do it yourself" she replied, whipping her head around in annoyance.

A few choice words later and Nick was at the end of his tether "I think we need a word in my office, Dr Hanna" he growled, gesturing for her to follow him. He slammed the door behind her as she entered, backing her up against it "I don't think you want to marry him" he whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her neck as he spoke.

Zoe shivered, she could feel herself becoming aroused just from the way he was speaking to her, he could see right through her; he knew she wanted him and he was enjoying every second. "I… I do" she protested. She could feel his hands on her waist, his lips just inches from hers. It took her less the a second to close the cap and kiss him, her hands threading their away around his neck.

He grinned into her mouth, she had kissed him, he knew that she didn't want to marry Matt; he was dull. He kissed her back with as much vigour as she was giving him, his tongue fought with hers for dominance as his hands forced her skirt up and out of the way, furiously grappling with the shirt buttons to expose her chest to him. He kissed his way slowly down to her stomach, forcing the skirt from her thighs and continuing south.

Her legs parted slightly as his fingers toyed with the edge of her knickers, pulling them down frustratingly slowly and kissing his way back up her leg. She could feel him pressing against her thigh as her kissed her again, it didn't take much encouragement for her to wrap a leg around his hip trying to get him where she wanted him.

"So…" Nick asked, as he watched her redressing, trying to sort out herself and her thoughts. She really was the most beautiful woman, she got under his skin; not many did.

"I think you know the answer to that" she whispered, looking up at him with a slight tear in her eyes. "Am I getting those back?" She asked, trying to change the subject as she nodded to the scrap of blue lace in his hand.

"Certainly not. Now, back to work with you" he kissed her once more and ushered her from his office with a smug smile.


	3. Chapter 3

The wedding plans were coming along nicely, Zoe thought. She knew she wasn't in love with Matt but the prospect of a white wedding and a family was something that Nick Jordan wasn't willing to offer. Matt was paying for everything, she had tried to argue and pay for half, she wouldn't feel as bad then if she called it off but he had insisted; the perfect gentleman.

Her dress wasn't quite white, nothing to do with the symbolism but she supposed it was fitting. It was an ivory colour, much more fitting with her skin tone and clung to her curves perfectly. She had booked the manor house and the cars. Everything was perfect, apart from the man who she'd be walking down the aisle to.

The date was edging ever closer and as Zoe noted on her latest fitting the dress was getting ever tighter. Three weeks till the big day and Zoe was struggling to stay away from Nick, she felt Ill constantly, a niggling nausea that her affair would be rumbled and she would never make it down the aisle. They were meeting up constantly, in his office, at his flat, at hers, in the store cupboard – anywhere they could. Zoe knew it was wrong, but she could not stay away from Nick Jordan.

.

Zoe sat on the side of the bath, her stomach in knots as she watched the minutes tick by on her watch; she hadn't moved in with Matt yet and was thankful of the peace this allowed her at times like this. Nick was coming around soon, it didn't even seem to bother him that they were having an affair. She thought of the last time he had came around, before he left for London, she hadn't seen him all week;

He had her pushed against the wall and he was barely over the threshold, his hands running along her body and his mouth toying with hers. He picked her up like she weighed nothing, carrying her up to her bedroom, laying her down and kissing along her body. His hands trailed up her legs, then his lips – his tongue probing and teasing her – she arched her back, moaning his name. There really was no one better.

She looked back at her watch and took a deep breath, it was time. Flipping the white stick over her hands she choked;

Pregna nt.


	4. Chapter 4

Zoe sat on the couch, completely in a daze. She was pregnant. Pregnant, with no real idea who the father was. Her life was a mess, but even without either of the men, she was going to have a baby, someone who would reply completely and utterly on her.

The buzzing of the door alerted her to the fact this wasn't a dream. Nicks face greeted her as she pulled the door open, and he slowly punched her back against the wall, the same as every other time. "No, nick no" she struggled from his grasp and looked up at him "we need to talk" she whispered, unsure if he should know.

Nick sighed "you say it's wrong every time Zoe, but you know that you can't resist me and, I want you too" he told her, trying to give her a let up on her guilty conscious.

"No it's not that" she snapped, deciding just to be upfront "I'm pregnant" she told him, her voice quieting slightly. "I'm pregnant and I don't know who the father is" she whispered, the severity of her situation hitting her.

"Right, so you've been sleeping with Matt too then?" Nick asked, trying to do the math in his head.

"Well he is my fiancée, he has just as much right, if not more than you" she snapped at him, she felt behind guilty now. Chances were it was Nicks baby, but she wasn't sure if the prospect of this thrilled her or not.

Nick looked at her worried, he wasn't going to lose the chance of his child or see another man raise it would not happen "well what are you going to do?" He asked her.

"I have no idea" she admitted, looking at him sorrowfully "I can't tell him it might not be his" she whispered.

.

"Zoe" nick whispered, a few hours later shaking her gently. They had lay together in a companionable silence on her bed, he passed no judgement or tried to force her decision; he just held her against his chest and lay his hand over her abdomen where his child may have lay. "Zoe, there's someone at your door" he urged her to wake up, shaking her lightly.

"What?" She asked in confusion, nicks gentle shaking and the sound of the buzzer rousing her. She moved down stairs quickly, and opened the door "oh! Hello Matt!" She greeted, speaking a little to loudly to alert Nick of his presence.

"I think we need to talk" she whispered to him as he leant forward to kiss her.

"What's up babe?" He asked, taking her hands in his and looking down at her.

"I'm pregnant" she mumbled looking at the floor. She squealed as she felt herself being picked up and spun around.

"That's brilliant" he cried, kissing her again.

"No…no" Zoe pushed him away "I don't know if it's yours" she told him, watching his face fall.


	5. Chapter 5

Zoe woke to an unfamiliar noise, the coolness of the sheets encasing her confirmed she was alone in her bed. It was strange she'd been having the same dream, or nightmare, again;

_"I don't know if it's yours" she told him, her head looking at the ground. The stony silence filled the hall where she stood and she didn't anticipate his next action. The reverberating 'crack' of skin hitting skin filled the hall as he slapped her, hard across the face. _

_"You little bitch" he hissed at her, gripping her chin between his fingers and forcing her to look at him "I've given you everything, we're getting married and you sleep around like a little whore?" _

_Zoe could only squeal I'm response, unable to move her mouth. She hoped Nick had heard. The sound of feet thundering down the stairs confirmed he had._

_"Take your bloody hands off her" he growled at Matt, grabbing his wrist and wrenching it from her "now, leave her alone" he turned back around to face her and she was crying, silent floods of tears. "It's ok, he's gone" he whispered, in an attempt to soothe her. He kissed her forehead and looked at her "Zoe. I love you" he told her, totally serious "will you marry me?" He asked, smiling as she nodded at him happy tears replacing the frightened ones. _

The noise that woke Zoe started again as she came to her sense, getting out of bed and padding through to the nursery. The shirt she wore offered no heat in the chilly night air, it was the comforting smell that protected her. She picked up the squalling baby from her crib and rocked her gently, smiling as two arms wrapped around her and passed her a bottle.

"You're supposed to be asleep, it's my turn" he murmured, kissing the back of her neck.

"It's ok, we'll do it together. Family time" she replied, relaxing back into his chest as she fed her daughter.

She knew Nicks proposal wasn't a dream, he had bought he a ring, sent Matt a cheque for the expense of the wedding and they sent their invites out together without explanation. Nick and Zoe. Mr and Mrs Jordan, now. They had gotten married, the same wedding she had planned just with the groom she wanted by her side, the confirmed father of Isabella.

"I love you, you know" he told her in a whisper as he watched their daughter feed.

"I know, I love you too" she whispered back "I'm so glad it was you"

He knew exactly what she meant, she was glad they had gotten married "the heart never lies Zoe, and Nick Jordan never, ever gets it wrong"


End file.
